Teaching Resource: Special Exhibition

Disguise: Masks and Global African Art

April 29–September 18, 2016
Disguise: Masks and Global African Art
About this Teaching Resource
This packet features two artworks from the special exhibition Disguise:
Masks and Global African Art. It is intended as a tool to help teachers look
at art with fifth- to twelfth- grade students. You can prepare for your inqui-
ry-based discussion by reviewing the descriptions and background informa-
tion provided. Then use the section “Questions for Viewing” to look closely,
think critically, and respond to the art together. Extend your investigations
with one or more of the suggested activity ideas. In general, questions for
younger audiences are listed first followed by progressively more complex
ideas. Feel free to adapt the suggested activities according to the age group
you are working with. Share your teaching stories with us! If you use these
materials, let us know: school.programs@brooklynmuseum.org.

About the Exhibition

Disguise: Masks and Global African Art connects the work of twenty-five
contemporary artists with historical African masquerade, using play and
provocation to invite viewers to think critically about their world and their
place within it. By putting on a mask and becoming someone else, these
artists reveal hidden realities about society, including ones having to do with
power, class, and gender, in order to suggest possibilities for the future.

Masks have long been used by African artists to define relationships—

whether involving individuals, communities, the environment, or the cos-
mos—and, sometimes, to challenge the status quo. However, once masks
were removed from their original performance context, they were trans-
formed into museum objects, and their larger messages were often lost.

The exhibition presents contemporary work in dialogue with historical objects

from the collections of the Seattle Art Museum and the Brooklyn Museum
within an immersive and lively installation of video, digital, sound, and installa-
tion art, as well as photography and sculpture.

Yoruba
“Egungun” Dance Costume,
mid-20th century
Wood, cotton and wool textiles,
aluminum, 55 x 6 x 63 in.
(139.7 x 15.2 x 160 cm).
Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Sam Hilu,
1998.125. Creative Commons-BY
Description of the Artwork
This costume ensemble appears as a large horizontal rectangle supported
at the top by a long horizontal frame that would be balanced on the masker’s
head. Wide vertical panels of fabric, composed of different materials and
colors (especially maroons and yellows), are draped over this frame and hang
side by side across four tiers, completely covering the masker from head to
toe. The first tier is comprised of short panels that create a border at the very
top of the structure. A second tier, immediately below, is composed of me-
dium-sized panels. This tier features a centrally placed panel made from a
netting material positioned directly in front of where the masker’s face would
be. The third tier appears only in the front of the costume and is composed
of shorter panels that cut across the middle of the figure. The bottom tier
features the longest panels that flow easily with movement. Comparatively
newer, factory-made cloths appear on the outer layer of textile panels, while
significantly older, indigo-white strip cloth panels are underneath. The textile
panels are decorated with perforated aluminum geometric objects sewed onto
the surface.
About the Artwork
Egungun is a masquerade tradition practiced by the Yoruba of West Africa and
their descendants throughout the African Diaspora. As a group, egungun ap-
pear as masked figures covered from head to toe in an elaborately decorated
costume. They are visible manifestations of deceased ancestors who period-
ically return to the community for remembrance, celebration, and blessings.1
They also provide stability to Yoruba society by sharing their divine knowledge
with their living descendants during times of trouble, and by punishing those
who are not following the teachings and moral standards of past generations. 2
Egungun are invoked through precise drumming rhythms and dance rituals
during annual festivals. While the robed figures act as a temporary bridge
between the living and the dead, under no circumstance may the egungun be
touched, approached, or spoken to by living humans. When they appear in
public, the egungun are shepherded by attendants who walk alongside them
with sticks and help to protect the physical space around them. 3
Fabric plays an important role in Yoruba society.4 The egungun costume is
composed of multiple layers of embroidered cloth lappets made from expen-
sive textiles denoting the status and wealth of the family of the manifested
ancestor. In addition, the costume connotes spiritual power, since its very
structure and design allow the realm of spirits to manifest in the realm of the
living.
The organizers of the 1993 exhibition Transformation through Cloth: An An-
cestral Devotion through the Egungun Costume of the Yoruba at the Universi-
ty of Wisconsin-Madison describe how these costumes work to facilitate the
masker’s transformation into the ancestor’s spirit:
The composition of an egungun ensemble has several distinctive
features. The layer worn closest to the masker’s skin, the undersack,
must be made of aso-oke, the indigo and white strip cloth. It closely
resembles the shroud in which the dead are wrapped. This sack,
along with the netting for the face and hands, must completely seal
the masker’s body. The netting effectively disguises facial and hand
features that might disclose his identity. On top of this base are placed
the layers of lappets. As the masker whirls, the lappets are sent flying,
creating a “breeze of blessing.” The design of the costume is therefore
closely related to the choreography of the performance. . . .To make the
costume beautiful, and thus powerful, the lappets are decorated with
patchwork patterns, braids, sequins, tassels, and amulets. The amulets
hold medicinal preparations which have performative power (ase),
providing protection against enemies at a time when the transformed
person is vulnerable. The main protective amulets, however, are on the
inside of the costume, not the outside. 5

Wura-Natasha Ogunji
(American, born 1970)
Costumes Used in the Video
“An Ancestor Takes a
Photograph,” 2014
Tyvek, cloth, thread, ink, canvas on
polyproylene, safety goggles, gloves,
bubble wrap, electrical tape. Overall:
75 x 28 x 15 in. (190.5 x 71.1 x 38.1
cm). Seattle Art Museum,
Commission, 2015
Description of the Artwork
Two mannequins stand side by side, one slightly in front of the other. Both are
placed in front of a projected video, which is shown to either side of them.
Their arms and feet are positioned so as to give the impression of move-
ment. They are covered from head to toe by matching white costumes made
from Tyvek or Hazmat (hazardous materials) suits. The hood of the costume
almost completely encloses the mannequin’s head, except for a plastic-cov-
ered opening over the eyes. Each costume also features an additional layer of
translucent material over which are stitched long rectangular strips of orange
and green fabric. There are additional geometric shapes in orange, aqua-
blue, green, red, black, and silver, patch-worked over the hood. The manne-
quins wear fluorescent orange-and-black work-style gloves, and safety-style
square-toed shoes made from silver material.
About the Artwork
These costumes were used in An Ancestor Takes a Photograph (2014), a
video–performance art project displayed behind the two figures. The video
shows two masked female performers walking through a busy Lagos com-
mercial district carrying “selfie sticks.” Ogunji has said that the design for the
patchwork embroidered over the suits is modeled after a street map overlay
of the city of Lagos. Ogunji sees these costumes as both a continuation
and a critique of the egungun masquerade tradition, still prevalent in Nigeria
today:
An Ancestor Takes a Photograph reconfigures the egungun ceremony as
a performance for two women to move through the megacity of Lagos
and document their experience of this street masquerade. This work
builds upon the practices of “street egungun” who cleverly expand the
traditional Yoruba ritual for economic reasons. While the street egungun
are more tricksters than ancestors (they tease and annoy and ask for
money), they also inspire a sense of awe, fear, and attraction similar to
that instilled by the proper egungun. An Ancestor Takes a Photograph is
both an interruption to the gender prohibitions around who can dance
egungun—as women are not allowed to be part of the secret society—
and a way to examine and embody the power of masquerade. . . . During
the performance our costumes are outfitted with cameras so that as we
move through the city we are recording this expanded sense of power
and spatial freedom.7

About the Artist

Wura-Natasha Ogunji is a Nigerian-American performance and visual artist
born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1970. Her work encompasses a variety of me-
dia, including video, thread, ink, and paper. Ogunji received a BA in Anthro-
pology from Stanford University in 1992 and an MFA in Photography from
San Jose State University in 1998. She was a recipient of a 2012 Guggenheim
Foundation Fellowship and has been awarded numerous grants by institutions
such as the Dallas Museum of Art, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, and the
Idea Fund. Her work has been exhibited at several venues, including the Cen-
tre for Contemporary Art in Lagos, Nigeria, Exit Art in New York, Arthouse at
the Jones Center in Austin, Texas, MASS Gallery in Austin, and the Museum
of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts in Brooklyn. She currently divides
her time between Austin and Lagos.6
Questions for Viewing Egungun Dance Costume and Cos-
tumes Used in the Video “An Ancestor Takes a Photograph”

Take a moment to look closely at these two costumes. What elements do you
see that are similar? How are they different from each other?

Imagine that you were walking down a busy street in your city and came
across figures covered in the egungun costume. How would you feel? What
about this costume would make you feel this way?

Now imagine that you came across figures wearing the costumes displayed
alongside An Ancestor Takes a Photograph. What would you think? How would
you feel? What about these costumes gives you this impression?

How do you think it would feel to be inside the egungun costume? How would
it be different to be inside the costumes used in the video?

Ogunji says, “Masks and masquerades create alternative and transcendent

spaces. The mask is a portal. It tells both audience and performer, ‘You’re
about to enter a totally new world.’”8 Based on what you see in each of these
costumes, what “worlds” might they have come from? What specific details
from each costume give you this impression?

Superheroes are often depicted wearing suits that give them special pow-
ers. Similarly, both the egungun costume and the suits worn in An Ancestor
Takes a Photograph give maskers the power to move between realms while
at the same time protecting them from the outside world. What do you see in
each of these costumes that might help the masker to travel across different
dimensions? How does each of these costumes protect the person inside?
What elements or details in each of these designs (egungun costume and the
suits worn in An Ancestor Takes a Photograph) show evidence of this?

Egungun costumes are traditionally worn only by men. When they appear
in public they are revered and feared by those who encounter them. In her
masquerades, Ogunji choses to have only women participate. One of the
participants has described how she felt as she walked down the streets of
Lagos in costume: “Oh my God, it’s amazing! People moved out of my way. I
could stand there and nobody was going to do anything to me or ask me for
anything. I could move freely through space.”9 What does her response tell
us about gender roles in that society? How does this compare to gender roles
here? If this performance where carried out in Brooklyn or another neighbor-
hood in the U.S., how might gender, race, and class affect the experience of
the masker?

If you could wear a costume that gave you complete freedom and total secu-
rity, where would you go? What would you do?
Activities
English Language Arts and Visual Art
Look at three to five excerpts from films, novels, and short stories featuring
protagonists who have travelled across different dimensions in the time-space
continuum. Examples might include Octavia Butler’s novel Kindred (1979) or
her collection of short stories, Bloodchild (1995). For films, you might con-
sider Somewhere in Time (1980), The Brother from Another Planet (1984), or
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012). How is the protagonist’s physical body affected
by time-space travel? What physical considerations might be considered to
guarantee the traveler’s safety? Now imagine that you were about to embark
on such a journey. Using fabric, wood, wood glue, recycled plastic, and other
found materials, create a costume or “suit” designed to guarantee your safe
passage. Write a manual explaining its main features and how it should be
worn. Be sure to incorporate descriptions of both physical and symbolic ele-
ments that speak to the idea of “protection” in your design.

English Language Arts

Ogunji’s work is inspired by the philosophy of Afro-futurism, which “combines
elements of science fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, and magic realism . . .
to critique not only the present-day dilemmas of people of color, but also to
revise, interrogate, and reexamine the historical events of the past.” 10 Exam-
ples of artists whose work is often described as Afro-futuristic include novel-
ist Octavia Butler, visual artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, and John Sayle’s 1984
film, The Brother from Another Planet. What are some of the problems facing
people of color and/or young people today? What are some of the historical
reasons for these problems? Write a science fiction short story where you
explore some of these problems in an alternate world inhabited by beings that
may be both very different and very similar to humans.

Performance Art/Theatre
Are there issues in your school or community that are important but that no
one seems to notice or talk much about? Think of an “intervention” or “scene”
that you might create to get people talking and thinking about this issue.
Working with two or three partners, think about how you might grab people’s
attention in a way that makes them curious and engaged, as opposed to just
shocked. As Ogunji says: “This requires a kind of respect and consideration
for the public which I don’t at all associate with spectacles. When I think about
a spectacle it brings to mind a particular image or event that is intended to
shock. And things that shock us don’t necessarily create opportunities for
conversations or transformation.” 11 How can you use costumes, interesting
objects, and your own body to bring attention to this issue in a way that cre-
ates an opportunity for change?
Resources for Teachers
Herbert M. Cole. I Am Not Myself: The Art of African Masquerade. Los
Pamela McClusky, et. al. Disguise: Masks and Global African Art.
Angeles: Museum of Cultural History, UCLA, 1985.
Seattle: Seattle Art Museum, 2015.
“A collection of essays from various authors about African masks. Includes a
Catalogue for the exhibition as it appeared in the Seattle Art Museum.
section on Yoruba masks by Debbie Randolph and a section on Pende masks
by Karin Klieman. Also has many black-and-white photographs of African
Margy Burns Knight, Mark Melnicove, and Anne Sibley O’Brien. Africa
masks and a few color photographs in the front of the book.”15
Is Not a Country. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press, 2000.
Illustrated book that demonstrates the diversity of the African continent by
Z. S. Strother. “Invention and Reinvention in the Traditional Arts.”
describing daily life in some of its fifty-three nations.
African Arts, vol. 28, no. 2 (Spring 1995), pp. 24–33, 90.
This article explores the relationship between what is termed “traditional art”
Ytasha Womack. Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy
and urban popular culture. The author traces the emergence of the Gidongo
Culture. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2013.
(Gi) Tshi? [Which Generation?] mask genre from the central Pende of Zaire to
“This book introduces readers to the burgeoning artists creating Afro-futurist
show how innovative masquerade traditions emerge as vibrant, collaborative
works, the history of innovators in the past, and the wide range of subjects
processes that defy dominant conceptions of artistic authorship.
they explore.”12

Z. S. Strother. “Gabama a Gingungu and the Secret History of

Walidah Imarisha and Adrienne Maree Brown, eds. Octavia’s Brood:
Twentieth-Century Art.” African Arts, vol. 32, no. 1 (Spring 1999),
Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements. Oakland: AK
pp. 18–31, 92–93.
Press, 2015.
The author begins by asking “What is the difference between writing ‘The
“Whenever we envision a world without war, prisons, or capitalism, we are
Pende people make Fumu (chief’s) masks’ and ‘The Pende sculptor Gabama
producing speculative fiction. Organizers and activists envision, and try to
a Gingungu made a Fumu mask ca. 1930?’” She then provides a comprehen-
create, such worlds all the time. Walidah Imarisha and Adrienne Maree Brown
sive view of Pende sculptor Gabama a Gingungu and of the ways in which his
have brought twenty of them together in the first anthology of short stories to
profession and art have adapted and changed over the course of the twenti-
explore the connections between radical speculative fiction and movements
eth century.
for social change.”13

Elisabeth L. Cameron. “Women=Masks: Initiation Arts in North-

Augusto Boal, trans. by Adrian Jackson. Games for Actors and Non
Western Province, Zambia.” African Arts, vol. 31, no. 2 (Spring 1998),
Actors. London and New York: Routledge, 1992. Available online at https://
pp. 50-61, 93.
geraldkeaney.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/augusto_boal_games_for_actors_
This article debunks the cliché that only men wear masks in African masquer-
and_non-actorsbookfi-org.pdf.
ades by pointing to women’s initiation traditions in North-Western Province,
“Games for Actors and Non-Actors is the classic and best-selling book by the
Zambia. The author recounts how women in this region refer to themselves
founder of Theatre of the Oppressed, Augusto Boal. It sets out the principles
as makishi (masks), which prompts her to reconsider dominant European
and practice of Boal’s revolutionary Method, showing how theatre can be
definitions of African masks and masquerading.
used to transform and liberate everyone—actors and nonactors alike!”14
Disguise: Masks and Global African Art was originally organized by the Notes
Seattle Art Museum.
1
http://africa.si.edu/exhibits/resonance/44.html

The Brooklyn presentation is organized by Keven Dumouchelle, Associate 2

Curator, Arts of Africa and the Pacific Islands, Brooklyn Museum.
Generous support for the Brooklyn Museum presentation is provided by JP
Laura Strong, “Egungun: The Masked Ancestors of the Yoruba”: http://www.mythicarts.com/
writing/Egungun.html
3
Mary Ann Fitzgerald, Henry J. Drewal, and Moyo Okediji, “Transformation through Cloth: An
Egungun Costume of the Yoruba.” African Arts, vol. 28, no. 2 (Spring 1995), p. 57. http://www.jstor.

Morgan Chase & Co. Additional support is provided by Jerome and Ellen org/stable/3337226
4
Stern. https://www.ncsu.edu/aern/TAS10.2/TAS10.2Yemisi.pdf
5
Fitzgerald, Drewal, and Okediji, pp. 56–57.
6
http://dailyserving.com/2015/08/disguise-masks-global-african-art-at-seattle-art-museum/
7
http://www.nataal.com/disguise/
8
This packet was written by Adjoa Jones de Almeida, Senior Museum Ibid.
9
Educator/Intern Coordinator, with assistance from Monica Marino, School http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/dec/30/africa-masks-art-disguise-los-angeles
Programs Manager; Radiah Harper, Vice Director for Education and Program 10
“Calls for Papers: Afro-Futurism,” Callaloo, vol. 26, no. 3 (Summer 2003)
Development; and Kevin Dumouchelle, Associate Curator, Arts of Africa and 11
http://www.okayafrica.com/photos/nigeria-art-wura-natasha-ogunji-visual-performance/
the Pacific Islands.
12
https://books.google.com/books?id=HTvVAAAAQBAJ&hl=en
13
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1849352097/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_
p=1944687542&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1498510507&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX-
0DER&pf_rd_r=096W4NFD7ER23E3JTZDB
14
http://www.amazon.com/Games-Actors-Non-Actors-2nd-Edition/dp/0415267080
15
Elisabeth L. Cameron, “Women=Masks: Initiation Arts in North-Western Province, Zambia,”
African Arts, vol. 31, no. 2, (Spring 1998), pp. 50–61, 93.